CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - 9 months ended Sep. 30, 2018 - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Hotel Fund [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Paid-In Capital [Member]	Paid-In Capital [Member] Hotel Fund [Member]	Accumulated Deficit [Member]	Total IMH Financial Corporation Stockholders’ Equity [Member]	Total IMH Financial Corporation Stockholders’ Equity [Member] Hotel Fund [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member] Hotel Fund [Member]
Beginning Balances at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 35,811		$ 181	$ (6,286)	$ 714,889		$ (679,535)	$ 29,249		$ 6,562
Beginning Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017			18,079,522	1,826,096
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	(6,408)						(7,398)	(7,398)		990
Contributions from Hotel Fund investors	9,815	$ 9,815									$ 9,815
Distributions to Hotel Fund investors	(1,939)	(205)								(1,939)	$ (205)
Contribution of Hotel Fund capital costs	87	$ (87)				$ (87)			$ (87)
Issuance of common stock warrants, net of cost accretion	581				581			581
Cash dividends on redeemable convertible preferred stock	(1,894)				(1,894)			(1,894)
Deemed dividend on redeemable convertible preferred stock	(2,651)				(2,651)			(2,651)
Cash dividends on perpetual preferred stock	(569)				(569)			(569)
Relinquishment of class C common stock to treasury				44,068
Stock-based compensation	308		$ 5		303			308
Stock-based compensation (in shares)			517,252
Ending Balances at Sep. 30, 2018	$ 32,762		$ 186	$ (6,286)	$ 710,572		$ (686,933)	$ 17,539		$ 15,223
Ending Balances (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2018			18,596,774	1,870,164